Ladies and gentlemen, greetings. We are living in a twentieth century civilization that is plunging toward human extinction. We don’t like to think about that. And it’s about time we do begin to think about it to think about why; to think about what has caused it; what has brought us to this place? and where are we going from here; and what is going to happen and how can we get out of it?
The weapons of mass destruction now, for the first time in all history, can absolutely annihilate human life from this planet. One hydrogen bomb is more effective than all of the bombs that were exploded in World War II on both sides the Allies, and the Germans, the Japanese all of the bombs exploded. The atom bomb that was exploded at the end of World War II in Japan is only just the trigger to the hydrogen bomb. That destroyed about a hundred thousand people. A hydrogen bomb will destroy many, many, many times that. And now it’s possible to erase human life from this planet.
Now what has caused all of this? I was explaining that last time: there are two ways of life. And it is the way of life that humanity has lived that has brought this whole thing upon us. Now there’s been both good and bad in the way we’ve lived. And I showed you how our very first parents in the Garden of Eden made the decision. They rejected the spiritual way of life. There were the two trees in the Garden of Eden. One was the tree of life. That represented, really, the Spirit of God. And that represented the spiritual way of solving problems and the spiritual knowledge, spiritual way. The other was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They took to themselves the creation, you might say, of the knowledge of what is good and what is not good, or what is good and what is evil in other words what is right and what is wrong. And we’ve been living the wrong way ever since. In other words they took to themselves the way of materialism. And all of our problems have come from a spiritual lack of understanding. Our problems are spiritual. Our accomplishments, the achievements, have been material.
Awesome Progress
Now we live in a twentieth century when we think of progress progress that is absolutely awesome. Human progress why we’re accomplishing things that even if an Abraham Lincoln could come back to life now he would just be awestruck by the things that have been accomplished since he lived: sending men to the moon and back; the marvelous machinery and things that we’re doing; the achievements in modern medicine that everything that we’re doing. And it’s all in the physical and the materialistic realm. It seems like the human mind is limitless in the physical realm, but when it comes to spiritual things we are helpless.
Now I was explaining how our first parents chose that way and mankind has gone that way ever since. The two ways of life: one is out flowing love it is love toward God, it is love toward neighbor love in two different directions. But it is out flowing and not incoming. The other way is get and that’s incoming. That means, “I love me, but I don’t care about you.” That means, “I want to take; I want to get whatever I can from you. I will let you produce; I’ll take it away from you, rather than produce myself.” The way of love is the way of cooperate. That is the way of help, of serve, and the way of sharing. We don’t like that way. Humanity has been living the way of get. And that is the materialistic way. That is the way we have been living. That was the way that was started by the first human Adam. He was a physical man. He chose the physical manner; he chose the physical and the materialistic way of life.
Now what can be the solution the solution? Some people would say, “Well, what is the solution?” The solution is Jesus Christ. But they don’t understand that. That is true, but they don’t understand it. Christ was the second Adam. But Christ came with the spiritual way of life. Jesus Christ was born of the very Spirit of God through a human mother. So He was both man and God. He was filled with the Spirit of God. And He proclaimed a spiritual way of life which is the way of out-flowing love the way I call “give” just to simplify it into a little four-letter word give.
And the opposite way is “get.” Christ came proclaiming the way of give instead of get a different way than humanity was living. Now He started a few on that way and that few were His Church. Jesus Christ proclaimed His gospel His message which was a way of life. And He proclaimed that way to many, many, many untold thousands. Of course we don’t know how many. I know twice He spoke to crowds of 5,000 men not even counting women and children. He must have spoken to many, many thousands. But of all of those He spoke to in three and one-half years of His earthly ministry only 120 believed Him.
Now there were others who believed on Him, but they still tried to kill Him because they didn’t believe what He said. You don’t believe that? Turn to the eighth chapter of the book of John in your Bible. And begin with the thirtieth verse and you’ll find many who believed on Him. Just like there are many who believe on Christ today. And they think they’re alright. They think that’s all there is to salvation. “Just believe on Christ and you’ll be saved.”
Believe Christ
There’s a lot more to it than that. You have to believe Christ. That means believe what He said. Adam and Eve didn’t believe what God said to them. They didn’t believe God. The Bible is the Word of God. But people don’t believe what it says. They try to twist it; they try to translate it; they try to change it and interpret it their own way! They don’t like to believe what it says. Now Jesus came and started a few the right way and that few started His Church. And His Church, believe it or not, has always been small and persecuted. But there have been false churches and there have been false prophets that have been misleading the world. And your Bible says the whole world and all nations have been deceived because the Bible says there is a devil believe it or not (Revelation 12:9). There is a Satan the devil and he has been deceiving people in the wrong spiritual way which is the way of get instead of the way of give.
Now I want you to notice a little something about the gospel that Jesus preached and what He taught that very few have ever believed. And it’s in the book of Mark starting right out at the very beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ Mark 1:1: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is written in the prophets” (Mark 1:1-2). It goes on to talk about John the Baptist who prepared the way before Him and so on down to the time when Jesus, Himself, was baptized. And then where He was tempted of the devil. And where He conquered Satan and qualified now to restore the government of God on this earth.
Now Jesus Christ was born to be a king. In a broadcast a week or two ago I gave you the prophecies of how Christ was born to become a king to head a government to establish a government on this earth a government of God. And that is a real government. Before Pilate, when He was on trial for His life He said, “You say I am a king. To this end I was born, and for this cause I came into the world” [to be a king] (John 18:37). He preached the kingdom of God. Now notice: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [now we come on down to after He had conquered Satan the devil in verse 14] now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching…” (Mark 1:1, 14)
What; what did Jesus preach? Very few have heard it, my friends, very few because that gospel has been maligned and put aside! And what the world has been hearing is the gospel of men, not the gospel of Christ a gospel of men ABOUT Christ! And the true gospel is the gospel OF Christ ABOUT the kingdom of God! Here it is: “Jesus Christ came [this is the beginning of the gospel of Christ] preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14).
That is the government of God! He was born to be a king in a government! And a government is ruled by a law by a basic constitution. And that law in the government of God, in the kingdom of God is the way, the spiritual way, of give. And that is God’s law. And that’s what the first Adam rejected was that government of God which is that way of life, which is give. You can call it the Ten Commandments if you want to; you can call it the one word, love; you can call it the two great commandments: you shall love the Lord thy God and thy neighbor as thyself (Matthew 22:36-39). It’s the same law; it’s the way of out flowing love, not incoming lust, not incoming covetousness! And not toward other people a matter of jealousy, not a matter of envy, not a matter of trying to compete with others and take away from others and to get from others. That is the way the world has been living.
Time is Fulfilled
But here Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). Now let me analyze that a little bit. He said the time is fulfilled. It was not fulfilled until He had conquered Satan. What happened to Adam in the garden of Eden? You can’t understand the things that are going on in the world if you want to deny that there is such a spirit being as the invisible, but immortal, Satan, explained in the Bible. You can’t see him. And it isn’t very fashionable today to believe there is a devil. I know that. But he is so very, very real that he has the whole world deceived (Revelation 12:9). He has even deceived the churches and the ministers, believe it or not. He has deceived every facet of our civilization: government, education, business and industry, science and technology. Every facet of modern civilization has been deceived. This was the deceived world and it is plunging to extinction! And it’s time we wake up to the causes and to the way out of it and what really is going to happen.
Now notice: the time was fulfilled. Jesus has just conquered Satan. Satan was set on a throne and he still is ruling on that throne. But Satan [Jesus] has qualified to replace him on that throne. {1} He has qualified to restore the government of God. And the foundation of that government is, of course, a law, a basic law or constitution. Every government has to be based on a foundational law. And that law is the way of give, the way of outflowing love: love toward God, love toward neighbor. And Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye…”
Repent means turn away from the way of get and turn to the way of give. But how many did? One hundred and twenty out of all of the thousands to whom He preached only a hundred and twenty. How many of you will turn when I preach to you now? One out of thousands of you! And that’s about all; and I know it as well as you do! But I’m going to proclaim it to you as a witness just the same. I love you enough to do it because love is out flowing. And I’m proclaiming this because I love the people in the world, but I don’t love the way of the world.
And God loves the people of the world, but He doesn’t love the way they’re going. And Jesus came to turn them from it and to turn them, really, to a different way. Now He said, “Repent.” That means to change from the way of get to the way of give. You don’t hear it preached that way because in, well, the religion we call, ‘Christianity,’ you will find in the first chapter of the book of Ephesians [Galatians] {2} that the gospel of Christ was perverted and they changed it to another gospel. And that’s what the world’s been hearing now for over nineteen hundred years. But Jesus was born to be a king.
Overcome
Now let me show you another scripture that I want to give you right here at this point in the third chapter of Revelation and verse twenty-one, where Jesus, Himself, said now He was speaking to His Church when He said this:
“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne [He was born to be a king; He’s going to sit on a throne. He came and qualified to restore the government of God. And the government of God is based on the law of outflowing love or the way of give. Now He said] to those that overcome [the way of get, that’s what He means] to him will I give to sit with me in my throne, as I also overcame [which He did when He was here on earth] and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21). That means He is up in heaven on in His Father’s throne now.
Now, again, what He said here just a little before that, in Revelation 2:26-27. [He said], “And he that overcometh [He that overcometh the way of get, the way of this world that is the way of sin; call it S-I-N sin, if you want to. That’s a biblical term and it isn’t very fashionable to use. I use a word that I’m sure you will understand the way of ‘get.’ It’s all the same thing], And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end” (Revelation 2:26). That is the way you live! Jesus came talking about the way we live. Modern Christianity, so-called, doesn’t have much to do with the way you live. It’s, “Just accept Christ.” Just get, receive all get, not give!
My friends, when I was converted I didn’t feel I was getting something. I gave myself to God. I said, “Jesus Christ bought me. He died He gave His life to purchase me. He bought and paid for me; I belong to Him.” And I gave my life to Him and told Him if He could use a life like mine, He could have it. I didn’t see how He would ever use it. I didn’t think it was worth much. It wasn’t to me. But He has used it a little bit. And He has helped some of you that are listening now.
[But] “He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end [He’s talking about how you live.] To him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.” (Revelation 2:26-27)
So those that overcome, in the Church, are going to rule and reign in that government, in that kingdom, with Jesus Christ. You don’t hear that kind of a gospel being preached today because the gospel was perverted.
Alright also now, to the apostles, Jesus said, I want to turn back here to the fourteenth chapter of John. And I’d like to read to you just the third verse for a moment. Jesus said that He was going away; He was going to God the Father and going to leave the earth for quite a while. And He’s been gone for over 1900 years. But listen.
“If I go and prepare a place for you [the place He was going to prepare is an office, a position, an office in the government…and prepare a place for you,] I will come again [He’s coming back to the earth, He said] And receive you unto myself; that where I am, you may be also” (John 14:3). And when He comes back He’ll be here and that’s when we’ll be with Him not up in heaven!
I’ll pay you a thousand dollars if you show me one place in the Bible that gives any hope or promise of anyone ever going to heaven or that anyone ever did go to heaven except Jesus Christ! Now that’s a shocker for you. Alright you want to get? That’s a way to get a thousand dollars; I’ll give it to you. Show me in the Bible because the Bible doesn’t preach that! The Bible says that “…the righteous will inherit the earth, and dwell therein forever” (Psalm37:29). And I have heard preachers say, “The Bible says, ‘When we all get to heaven…'” The Bible says nothing of the kind. Show me where it says that and I’ll pay you one thousand dollars. Now I think that’s about a case of ‘put up or shut up,’ I know what I’m talking about.
Appearance of the kingdom
Alright now, next turn on to Luke 19. That’s what I wanted to turn to a minute ago, but let’s turn to the nineteenth chapter of Luke and notice the eleventh verse something Jesus said to the apostles who were part of the very foundation of the Church. “And as they [meaning His apostles] heard these things, Jesus added and spake a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they [the apostles] thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.” (Luke 19:11)
Now the kingdom of God is not the Church. The kingdom of God is not some fluffy sentiment in your minds and hearts a sentimental nothing. The kingdom of God is a literal government that is going to be set upon this earth and it’s going to prevent the extinction of mankind. That’s the ultimate solution of our great problem. So listen. “He said, therefore, A certain nobleman [now He is that nobleman and this is only a parable] went into a far country [which is heaven in reality] to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” (Luke 19:12)
Jesus went up to heaven to receive the kingdom. And when He comes back He will come with many crowns; He will be already crowned. The ceremony will take place up in heaven and He will come already crowned as king. And Satan is going to be replaced and is going to have to be taken away from this earth where he cannot deceive nations any more at all. So you notice now that He went to heaven, but He’s going to return. And He went to get the kingdom and to return as the king over that kingdom.
Now if the world problems don’t frighten people now, before He comes, they will. People are going to be frightened very soon now. I want you to notice another prophecy in the New Testament and it’s in Luke 21 the twenty-first chapter of Luke and beginning with verse twenty-five beginning with verse twenty-five. “And there shall be [now this is just ahead of us in this twentieth century, not very far ahead from right now] there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon [the moon], and in the stars; and upon the earth, and distress of nations [nations in distress and perplexity we’re in chaos right now] distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming on the earth:” (Luke 21:25-26)
We haven’t quite reached that yet. We are very close to it right now; we’re very close to the time when that is going to happen and, before we’re delivered out of this trouble that we’re in now, it’s going to get worse. What man has brought on man is going to become worse. Oh yes we’ve had great progress materially. But spiritually we’ve been tearing things to pieces. And we’re going to annihilate human life from off this planet if God does not intervene to stop it, which, of course, He will. “And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with power and great glory. And when these things [happen when they] begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:27-28)
That is going to happen and then Christ is going to come and save us from ourselves finally at last. And He’s going to rule with power.
Christ’s Second Coming
Now let’s turn over again now into the book of Revelation, in the nineteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, and beginning with verse eleven:
And John is telling here the apostle John in about 90 AD when he wrote this he saw a vision. He was on the Isle of Patmos and he saw things in a vision. But in vision he was in the time of called the Day of the Lord. In other words, after the day of man, after the day that we’re living in is over, and the time of Christ’s coming and the time when God intervenes in the affairs of men.
He says here “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war [that is referring to Jesus Christ when He comes with having received that kingdom. And He’s coming back to this earth]. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. (Revelation 19:11-12)
And by the way in the first chapter of the book of Revelation (verse 16) you will find that His face was like the sun in full strength so bright it would put your eyes out if you were up close looking at it. That is the way He’s coming in power and in glory a power and a glory that no human man has ever seen yet, but will see.
“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood [showing of the blood of Christ when He was crucified on the cross] and his name is called the Word of God [Jesus is the Word of God]. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses [and in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew you will find those armies are all the holy angels are coming with Him] clothed in fine linen, white and clean [and that clothing is merely symbolic of righteousness and holiness] and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [now this is speaking symbolically that sword is not a sword of steel, but out of his mouth goes a sharp sword,] that with it he should smite the nations [that sword is the Word of God the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Another place in the Bible interprets that (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). It’s His own Word that people don’t like, which is the Word of give instead of get, that’s all] and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:13-16)
That is the way He’s coming. And He is coming to restore the government of God on this earth which will have as basic law the way of give and not get! Satan the devil is going to be taken away and will not be here to deceive the nations any more. And people are going to learn to live the way of give instead of get.
Now I’d like to read you, if I have time, just one more verse. It’s a prophecy in the Old Testament in the book of Micah.
“But in the last days [and we’re right in those last days now, in the last days] it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains [that is the nation of God will be established over all of the nations because it’ll rule over all nations] and it shall be exalted above the hills; and many nations will flow unto it. Many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the [nation, it is, or] mountain of the [Eternal], and to the house of the God of Jacob; and HE WILL TEACH US HIS WAYS! [It’s a matter of a way of life. And He will teach us that way of life the way of give.] And we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion [that’s the law it is a spiritual law the way of outflowing love, go forth of Zion,] and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge amongst many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off [a world-ruling government] and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Micah 4:1-3)
That is the way it’s finally going to be when Christ comes to rule with the way of life of give instead of get and when Satan the devil is put away! Then there won’t be any devil as some people think there isn’t even right now. My friends, what is the kingdom of God? That is the gospel that Jesus preached. You haven’t heard it. You’ve heard the gospel of men about the person of Christ. What about the gospel Jesus Himself preached the kingdom of God? I want you to have a free booklet that I would like to send to you: ‘What do You Mean – The kingdom of God.’ ‘Just what do You Mean – The kingdom of God.’ Now there’s no charge whatsoever; so until next time Herbert W. Armstrong goodbye friends.
{1} Here Mr. Armstrong mistakenly says that it was Satan who had “qualified to replace him on that throne,” when, obviously, he was speaking of Jesus Christ who had qualified, at this time, to replace Satan and restore the government of God to the earth.
{2} Mr. Armstrong references the first chapter of Ephesians here, but the scripture to which he is referring is found in Galatians 1:6-7